Barming Pre-School and Primary School
Be Kind, Be Safe, Be Responsible And Make Good Choices
Loss and Bereavement Support
Loss and Bereavement
The information below is from the following website: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/grief-bereavement-loss/
Grief after bereavement or loss
Most people experience grief when they lose something or someone important to them. If these feelings are affecting your life, there are things you can try that may help.
Symptoms of bereavement, grief and loss
Bereavement, grief and loss can cause many different symptoms and they affect people in different ways. There's no right or wrong way to feel.
As well as bereavement, there are other types of loss such as the end of a relationship or losing a job or home.
Some of the most common symptoms include:
- shock and numbness – this is usually the first reaction to loss, and people often talk about "being in a daze"
- overwhelming sadness, with lots of crying
- tiredness or exhaustion
- anger – towards the person you've lost or the reason for your loss
- guilt – for example, guilt about feeling angry, about something you said or did not say, or not being able to stop your loved one dying
These feelings may not be there all the time and powerful feelings may appear unexpectedly.
It's not always easy to recognise when bereavement, grief or loss are the reason you're acting or feeling differently.
Stages of Bereavement or grief
Experts generally accept that we go through 5 stages of bereavement or grief:
Denial – feelings of shock, disbelief, panic or confusion.
Anger – feelings and behaviours such as blaming yourself or blaming others.
Depression – feeling tired, hopeless or helpless – like you have lost perspective or feel isolated.
Bargaining – feelings of guilt often raise questions like "If only I had done more".
Acceptance – this does not mean that you like the situation, it’s about accepting your loss and being ready to move forward.
Although these are accepted as the most common stages of grief, everyone experiences grief differently.
Read more about what grief can feel like on the Mind website
Most people go through all these stages, but you will not necessarily move smoothly from one to the next.
Your grief might feel chaotic and out of control, but these feelings will eventually become less intense over time.
For further support, click on the links below:
https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/feelings-and-symptoms/grief-and-loss/
